As foreign trends have changed Indian culture, this year the Indian government is asking citizens to hug a cow instead of spending Valentine’s Day flirting with their significant other.

In a statement this week, the state animal welfare agency announced that February 14 will be celebrated as “Cow Hug Day”, a new holiday added to Indian traditions.

“Vedic traditions are on the verge of extinction due to the spread of Western culture. The splendor of Western civilization has made us forget about our culture and heritage,” the statement said.

The agency describes cows as “the foundation of Indian culture,” urging citizens that hugging a cow on February 14 will bring “emotional richness, individual and collective happiness.”

In recent decades, young Indians have increasingly celebrated Valentine’s Day, a day with Christian roots, and, like Americans, gather in parks and restaurants to exchange gifts with their partners.

It is noted that in Hinduism, cows are considered sacred and are often associated with motherhood. Their significance for the Indians is so sacred that in many states, including Delhi, their slaughter is prohibited.

About 80% of India’s population is Hindu, 14% Muslim, and the remaining 6% are Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains.

The attempt to give Valentine’s Day a different sign comes amid the rise of Hindu nationalism, which advocates that “the faith and doctrine of Hinduism should shape the state and its policies,” advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to Smithsonian Magazine